Wednesday, July 13, 2011

The 10 Day Post - Day 5

This has to be my favorite post in the entire challenge series. Ive more often then not been told im too much of a foodie for my own good.

There was a time in Bangalore, when i thought of food as the only entertainment factor. It was something that i looked forward to everyday. I wasn't the only one though, i had a couple of friends with me. We'd plan and plan and plan on where to have breakfast, lunch and dinner for the day. We were blessed with diverse cultured (read - Multiple cuisines)

During the final year of college i pretty much had a fixed schedule of Breakfast, Lunch, Teatime, Snacks And Dinner. What may come, i was sure i'd have all my meals. Breakfast from the Window mess (All transaction were done through the window, without needing to step out of our hostel) or Polytech canteen. We had Andhra Mess and Oriyya Mess vying for attention during Lunch. Occasionally the Rolls Shop. Dinner would be Razzmatazz or the Briyani Shop. When it would turn routine, i'd simply gather my nutty bunch of friends and we'd go on a hunt for new food joints and discover one every week.

The habit stuck with me even after i got back home. I know more food joints then anything else now.

For a person who can gawk at food pictures for hours (Hema Ramasamy's Food Album is one of my favorites), and read recipe's and be transported to the yummy world of food, choosing 6 is a task ;-)

1. Tom Yum - True to how it sounds, it is YUMMY! and my all time favorite food. Sweet, Spicy (real hot), Sour with strong flavors of lime leaves, lemongrass and coconut milk. Its Orangish-Red in colour. My mouth starts watering at the mere mention of TomYum. Its available worldwide now but you havent had TomYum till you've had it in Thailand.

2. Oriyya Mess Chicken Meal.I cant remember if it was the food or the ambiance (a single wooden table with a wooden bench under a shady tree) or the crowd there made me fall in love with the place. The chicken meal there was a hit with everyone i knew. A meal with n-number of roti's, a bowl of rice, dhal, vegetable of the day and thick chicken curry, nothing unique to shout about you may say, but one bite there, and you'd be hooked ;-)

Oriyya Mess, MSR Nagar, Bangalore

3. Hot and Crunchy Jalebi'sI was never a fan of sweets before going to India. I used to be treated like a social outcast for a bit, for refusing sweets. The first sweet i probably had in Bangalore was Gulab Jamun and my love foor anything sweet started then ;-)
but nothing does beat freshly fried Jalebis dunked into the diabetes inducing sugar syrup. Its hot, crunch and melts in your mouth.. aaaah Heaven!
*tips - Have it by the roadside, Wok to Mouth, its yummiest then!

Jalebi's! *slurp*

4. SushiSushi too was something i hated. Even before i knew how it tasted like. I cant remember why, but im guessing i didnt like seaweed and raw fish. I had Sushi for the first time in Singapore, on a trip with my ex-boss. The Wasabi in Soy Sauce hit me like a wave. Bazoiink and my love for Sushi started at that very moment. Anyone interested in having Sushi, gimme a buzz, i'll take you to my favorite joint :-)

5. Nando's 1/4 chicken (Extra Hot) with Coleslaw and Peri Chips :)
I used to work at a Nando's Outlet after my Foundation (equivalent to A-Levels) I dont remember dreading work because of the yummy food and fun colleagues i had. The flavor isnt the same now (I used to grill my own chicken then, and in the process dunk the 1/4 into the extra hot basting sauce and then grilling it, Yum!! and exxxxxtra hot, right up to the bone). And i only like the drumstick part :-)
But Nando's has always been my fallback when in Doubt!

xtra hot with Coleslaw and PeriChips :-)

6. New Year Annathanam (Free food) in the Andalas Temple ;-)There's something very special about temple food. I never does taste bad. Ever. The Andalas Mariamman Temple i go to every Friday and on festive days is no exception. Every year on the 1st of January, a special annathanam is given, the menu remains unchanged, year after year (Rice + Pumpkin perattal + Dhal Curry + Long Beans Perattal + Panjamirtham) but yummy doesnt start describing the taste. Do come over on the 1st of January for lunch ;-)

SO, those are the 6 that come to mind instantly when i think of favorite food! but the list is non-exhaustive really.

That being said i do hate a few dishes that i was unfortunate enough to try ;-p. Blood Sausage takes crown in that case. Yuck!